On the shore in the quiet corner of a busy lake, Nancy Lake 1 may be one of the most versatile public use cabins in Alaska. One minute you’re in deep woods beneath a towering canopy, and then, like stepping through the looking glass, you descend a hill to find a storybook log cabin with a panoramic view of boating and fishing, or skiing and snowmobiling. It’s a place that banishes boredom, offering a family with kids immediate access to outdoor activities and lake fun.
A Cabin For Everyone
Nancy Lake is one of the region’s most popular recreation lakes with a commercial marina, a state park boat launch and campground, and a complex of coves and bays dominated by private homes. The lake offers some fishing, boating of all kinds, and is open to aircraft. While sunny summer weekends can be busy, stretches can be as quiet as a wilderness lake and attract nesting birds and other wildlife, especially in the northeast lobe where boat wake is prohibited, along the western shore where housing is sparse, and at the southern outflow into a vast network of wetlands.
Amenities
A beautiful blond-wood 16-by-20 log cabin, new in 2015, with sleeping space for six in two double bunks and a child-safe loft up a ladder. With a sleeping alcove and the loft, the layout offers some privacy. Standard wood stove, table and cooking space in airy front area under high ceiling. Outside is a fire ring, outhouse and picnic table. Covered porch overlooks the lakeshore.
Cabin 2 — a similar new log cabin — is a quarter-mile away on the same access trail, close enough for visiting.
Lake water needs to be purified for drinking. Small diameter firewood may be sparse immediately outside the cabin but can be found in the forest. A camp saw will be necessary if you didn’t bring your own firewood.
What Can You Do At Nancy Lake Cabin 1?
- The open forest features downed snags, overgrown paths and a big hill — perfect for epic games of hide-and-seek or capture the flag.
- Spend an hour on a silent paddle along a shore with little sign of people in the “no wake” area to the north.
- Fire up the outboard, and go waterskiing or fishing, or visiting the opposite direction, explore the many coves and serpentine shoreline of the 761-acre lake.
- Swim! The two landing spots on each side of the point offer a good bottom, and the exposure coaxes a breeze that drives off bugs during evenings at the campfire.
- Ski or snowmobile along the area’s extensive trail system.
